Match

Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell hit hundreds as England secured the series against India

Last Updated: 17/12/12 3:02pm

Ian Bell: Clinched his first century in India after helping guide England to safety

Jonathan Trott: Dogged century helped England to safety

England batted for more than two sessions on day five to secure a draw in the final Test in Nagpur and beat India 2-1 in the series.

England needed to avoid defeat in the final Test to secure a first series triumph in the country in 27 years.

And the result was never in doubt on the final day as Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell both secured centuries before the players finally shook hands after tea with the tourists on 352-4.

Having resumed in the morning on 161-3, the first hour was always going to dictate how the day would play out, but Trott and Bell remained largely untroubled as they kept the scoreboard ticking over.

Bell, who had looked out of sorts after missing the second Test to return home for the birth of his child, brought up his half-century off 130 balls.

And then Trott, who had found himself at the centre of the action during a fiery fourth day, reached his century off 232 deliveries.

Piyush Chawla came closest to removing Trott in the final overs of the morning session - with a huge appeal after a quicker delivery held its line and struck the Warwickshire man on the back pad, however umpire Rod Tucker was unmoved.

It was more of the same in the afternoon session until Trott was finally out five overs before tea, tickling Ravi Ashwin straight into the hands of Virat Kohli at leg slip for 143.

He and Bell had put on 208 for the fourth wicket with Bell adding just 26 runs in the second session to move on to 87 not out, having had one escape on 75 when a fierce cut at Chawla was edged and put down by Virender Sehwag at slip.

He was joined by debutant Joe Root who promptly lofted the ninth ball he faced, from Ashwin, into the stands as England went to tea on 310-4.

They resumed after the break with the only remaining question being whether Bell would reach his 17th Test hundred and his first in India.

It, like the result, was a formalilty in the end and he got there with a leg glance from the 293rd ball he faced, eventually making 116 not out while Root remained on 20 not out before the players called it a day an hour into the final session.